Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
$3,000
Princess /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Painting Grace Kelly Abstract Colorful
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Princess" Series: Eclecticism *Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso Year: 2024 Medium: Origi...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
Airplane in landscape - landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Jeroen Allart is part of his minimalist landscape and animal painting he did in his home country the Netherlands. 'A farm stands before you on the horizon....
Canvas, Oil
"Beat, Beat. Plus Outro (Linea Pictura — Diptych)" Abstract Diptych with String
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Beat, Beat. Plus Outro (Linea Pictura — Diptych)" is an original artwork by Hyland Mather made of acrylic, ink, string, pins on drop cloth, in tray frames. It measures approx 43”h x...
Canvas, Thread, Acrylic, Pins
Dandelion Yellow Drip III - Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze and aluminum figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. ...
Metal
HEAT HAZE - Modern Landscape Oil Pastel Painting, Warm Tones, Bright Light
By Janusz Kokot
Located in Hallein, AT
Janusz Kokot was born in Kalisz in 1960. He studied at the Pedagogical University in Częstochowa at the Art Institute. He practices painting and drawing. In the years 1988 - 2020 he ...
Paper, Oil Pastel
"Overlook" - Contemporary Acrylic Barn Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Justin Wheatley was born and raised in Clinton, Utah. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Utah State University with an emphasis in drawing and painting, and a Masters of Arts fro...
Canvas, Acrylic
On a Warm Summer Evening
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
Life Is Beautiful is a celebration of the quiet richness hidden within ordinary days. We often feel that something is missing from our lives, believing happiness lies somewhere ahead...
Acrylic, Canvas
The Group Chat
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some conversations never really end. A glance, a whisper, a dramatic pause, someone pretending not to listen while hearing absolutely everything. This painting celebrates the quiet r...
Canvas, Acrylic
My Favorite Blow In The Winds, Red Floral Soft Neutral Contemporary Textured Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints floral abstract compositions in acrylic and mixed media on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary painti...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Ink, Oil
"In a Round About Way", Figurative Painting of a Girl Dancing with Skeletons
By Mando Marie (seeyouthroughit)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"In a Round About Way" is a one-of-a-kind original work by Amanda Marie (Mando), created using acrylic and aerosol on canvas. The piece measures 32.75”h x 21”w framed, and is shipped...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$3,050
Summertime Smell Goods - Large Textured Airy Neutral Abstract Floral Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints floral abstract compositions in acrylic and mixed media on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary painti...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$8,771
2022 I - 5 by Christiane Maurer - Fiber Art, Geometric Patterns, Handwoven
Located in Paris, FR
2022 I – 3 is a unique textile (double weave, handwoven cotton stretched on frame) artwork by contemporary artist Christiane Maurer, dimensions are 112 × 92 cm (44.1 × 36.2 in). The...
Textile, Cotton
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Bold - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Tajine Silhouette. Still life Painting, Oil on canvas
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In most of the paintings, the artist uses an interior space as his subject, placing a table or similar object at its center. The use of symmetry and eye level often suggests an altar...
Oil, Canvas
$775
Open Your Heart - Abstract Blue Graffiti Inspired 'Love You' Mixed Media Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Wandering Through II - Colorful Rural Landscape Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
By Jodi Miller
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jodi Miller captivates with her atmospheric landscapes, inspired by the vast skies of her prairie upbringing and her global travels in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Influenced by the...
Canvas, Acrylic, Graphite
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Thorns Before Roses - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This work questions what happens after arrival. When the life once desired is finally attained, soft, beautiful, without struggle, why does the mind remain unsettled? Thorns Before ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Bananas. Still life Painting, Oil on canvas
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In most of the paintings, the artist uses an interior space as his subject, placing a table or similar object at its center. The use of symmetry and eye level often suggests an altar...
Canvas, Oil
$2,475
Wood Drip III - Rainbow Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze and aluminum figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. ...
Metal
Learning to Live
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
Learning to Live is a quiet reflection on the beauty that already surrounds us. So often we spend our lives chasing the next achievement, believing that happiness lies somewhere ahea...
Canvas, Acrylic
Life in Color
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
Life in Color celebrates the quiet beauty of sharing life with someone you love. In the simplest moments—a conversation, a shared meal, or the comfort of being together—the ordinary ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$800Sale Price|20% Off
AGE OF INNOCENCE - original round painting by Paula Craioveanu in New York
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Age of Innocence", original unique painting. A feminine, innocent presence, portrait of a girl with a Venetian mask. acrylic on canvas. 20in / 50cm, round. Shipped from Forest Hil...
Acrylic, Canvas
Monet’s Dahlias by Lumi Mizutani, Japanese-Style Painting, Garden Flowers
Located in Paris, FR
Monet’s Dahlias is a unique painting by contemporary artist Lumi Mizutani. The painting is made with pigments and Indian ink on Japanese paper mounted on panel, dimensions are 31.8 ×...
Paper, India Ink, Panel, Pigment
Too Late to Scare Me Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Signed, 105x80 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
The most compelling works of contemporary art do not simply depict events—they reveal shifts in human consciousness. Too Late to Scare Me belongs to this tradition, transforming an i...
Lacquer, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Green Curio Cabinet - Leucistic Anna’s Hummingbirds
Located in Burlingame, CA
Marie Cameron's new Curio Cabinet series places birds and teacups within curiosity cabinets filled with specimens, artifacts, collectibles, and kitsch, all woven together through nar...
Linen, Oil
Contemporary Abstract Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, 13x13 Inches
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Inspired by the drama of nature and light, Cynthia creates abstracted landscapes with oil on canvas.
Canvas, Oil
Making Our Way Back - Original Rural Landscape Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
By Jodi Miller
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jodi Miller captivates with her atmospheric landscapes, inspired by the vast skies of her prairie upbringing and her global travels in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Influenced by the...
Canvas, Acrylic, Graphite
$3,296
Jetty 12 January 16:02 - Modern Minimalistic Landscape Painting, See View
Located in Hallein, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Canvas, Oil
Will You Be My Lobster?
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some people spend a lifetime searching for proof that they belong to someone. Others quietly become a home for themselves. This lobster isn’t waiting by the sea. It has already found...
Canvas, Acrylic
In the Moment
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Series: Chill Out «In the Moment» This painting is about the simple ...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Highway 101", Surreal Redwood Highway Panting with Orcas and Car
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Highway 101" is an original artwork by Chris Austin and is made of gouache on wood. It measures 13"h x 17"w framed and is signed en verso by the artist. Chris Aus...
Wood, Gouache
Sun No.11 - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Figurative Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Awaiting - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
L'aparté des couleurs, Large Abstract, Contemporary, French, Oil on canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont is a French contemporary painter based in Normandy, France. Working exclusively in oil on canvas, she has developed a distinctive visual language rooted in layering, ma...
Oil
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled 6 - 21st Century, Contemporary Figurative, Neo-Expressionism
By Wisdom Uche
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Bird: Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, Green
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
The Bird is a Contemporary abstract oil painting on canvas in shades of green, created with professional Winsor & Newton and Rembrandt oil paints. The surface is built up through...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Beginning XI - Contemporary Joyful Oil Painting, Beach View, Seaside, XL Format
Located in Hallein, AT
Signed to the verso Artodyssey "Julita Malinowska's paintings belong to those, which once seen - are never forgotten. The open spaces, sometimes cool and bright, at other times heav...
Canvas, Oil
Beauty from Within 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,416Sale Price|25% Off
The newborn light that is me - Atmospheric dreamy pink & green abstract painting
Located in Silverthorne, CO
A rapturous pink and green ode to water and light. When I paint, I use cloth rags taken from daily life. For this painting, I used one of the discarded head coverings I was forced to...
Oil
Rodeo Rouge - Abstract Figurative Cowgirl Pinup Portrait Painting on Paper Map
By Jesse Black
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jesse’s imagery often merges playful and gritty elements, blending floral patterns, vintage-inspired designs, and bold outlines with a touch of whimsy. His artwork exudes a sense of ...
Paint, Paper, Acrylic
Chill Out
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting is about the importance of slowing down and allowing ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Stories of the Old House
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
Having stood for generations, this old house has witnessed countless stories of human life. Within its walls echoed laughter and tears, the joy of new beginnings, the birth of childr...
Canvas, Acrylic
$25,000
'California Sunset, Drake's Bay', San Francisco, PSA, Extra Large Oil Landscape
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'Wakeham' for Duan Wakeham (American, born 1931) and dated, verso, 1997. Additionally titled, 'Estero, Drake's Bay'. Previously with: Hackett Freedman Gallery, San Francisco. Framed dimensions: 73.5 H x 2.25 D x 61.5 W inches Born in Michigan, Wakeham attended Meinzinger Art School, Detroit, and later earned degrees in painting from Michigan State University (1959) and Stanford University (1961). During this time, he also traveled and painted in Europe for two years, living the second year in Florence, Italy. A teacher, Wakeham taught drawing and painting at Stanford and art history and oil painting at College of San Mateo. He has conducted workshops, taught master classes, and juried exhibitions in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Hawaii, New York, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada. An active member of the Pastel Society of America, he taught a workshop for the society (1997) and performed demonstrations (2001, 2004, 2005) and assisted in hanging “Pastels Only” each year since 1998. In 2000, Wakeham was elected to the Pastel Society of America's Hall of Fame in 2000 and, in 2009, named Pastel Society of the West Coast Pastel Laureate. In 1995 he was named Master Pastelist, PSA and Distinguished Pastelist, Pastel Society of the West Coast. He is a member of PSA Board of Governors, the IAPS Board of Directors and the Editorial Advisory Board of The Pastel Journal. Duane Wakeham...
Canvas, Oil
$545
Peculiar Bloom - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Mixed Media Painting on Raw Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
$3,003
Lisiere d'horizon, French Abstract Landscape Painting, Contemporary Coastal
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In Lisière d'horizon, Sophie Dumont distills the landscape to its essential rhythms. Broad horizontal bands of muted blues, warm ochres, soft whites and earthy reds suggest the meeti...
Oil
$545
Sun No.8 - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Figurative Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
AV NOVA by Ramon Enrich - Architecture and Landscape Painting
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
AV NOVA is a painting by Spanish contemporary artist Ramon Enrich. Acrylic on canvas: H 39.4 × L 51.2 in inches / H 100 × L 130 cm. The artwork is sold framed (brown floating frame)...
Canvas, Acrylic
Time Keeper. Large Acrylic Painting, Blue Orange Geometric Rabbit.
Located in Oslo, NO
An original acrylic on canvas depicting a young woman holding a geometric rabbit with a melting pocket watch, combining contemporary figurative painting with geometric abstraction. T...
Canvas, Acrylic
Return of Dawn, Contemporary Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 37x61"
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Neutrals, brown, ochre, black, white, green. 37 x 62" oil painting on canvas Inspired by the drama of nature and light, Cynthia creates abstracted landscapes with oil on canvas.
Canvas, Wood, Oil
Ancestral Throne - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
The Sun Born Over and Over, Abstract Oil on Linen, Signed, 150x80 cm
Located in Silverthorne, CO
A soaring, dramatic, golden sunset flaming across the sky. The golden light. The pink hues of hope. The planet we live on, all of us, spinning on its axis around our warm living sun...
Linen, Oil
Everyone Has Their Own Ocean
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled “Everyone Has Their Own Ocean” is a work about the inner space that...
Canvas, Acrylic
Fascinating Feline - Original Abstract Animal Cat Portrait Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia (USA) based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and abstracted still-life artworks. Her expressive style emphasizes line structure, creating vibrant painti...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil
$545
Rule of Threes - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Mixed Media Painting on Raw Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
Chill Out: At Ease
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 90×90 cm (overall size with stretching 100×100 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Series: Chill Out Title: «Chill Out: At Ease» This painting is abou...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,750Sale Price|25% Off
TURNING INTO STONE 3 surreal original oil Paula Craioveanu large 30x38in Florida
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Turning into Stone 3 " . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped stretched ready for display in the US, and shipped rolled in a tube to Europe and to the rest of...
Canvas, Oil
$1,500Sale Price|25% Off
Faun`s rest, 70x80cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Faun`s rest, 2021, 80x70 cm
Canvas, Oil
$1,850
Ephemeral Tides - 21st Century, Contemporary, Landscapes, Modern City, Oil
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Painting for me is an experience, where we learn every day and unlearn what we’ve learnt, and also as a portal to connect to the past, present & future. I was inspired to create thi...
Canvas, Oil
Blue Courtain. Still life Painting, Oil on canvas
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In most of the paintings, the artist uses an interior space as his subject, placing a table or similar object at its center. The use of symmetry and eye level often suggests an altar...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500Sale Price|30% Off
Lady with Books 2 original painting by Paula Craioveanu 39x23in FRAMED
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Lady with Books 2", 39x23in / 100x60cm. Original painting. Shipped as it is, stretched, ready for hanging, framed. Framed size 41.5x25.7in. Free shipping with 1stDibs code This p...
Canvas, Acrylic
The artist and activist is the subject of a new show at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art.
Manhattan's Acquavella Galleries is showing a group of the artist's monumental works that have never been seen together.
Koloman Moser smashed the conservative conventions of art and design in fin-de-siècle Vienna. On the 100th anniversary of his death, the Austrian designer is being celebrated for his radically modern creations.